Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth
Beneficiary and Clinician Perspectives on Medicare and Other Issues: Findings from 2023 Focus Groups in Select States
Summarizes findings from 24 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and July 2023, including three virtual focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Summarizes findings from 24 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and July 2023, including three virtual focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of Remote Spirometric Monitoring for Rural Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease: A Multimethod Approach
Examines the acceptability and feasibility of utilizing telemonitoring for rural lung disease patients who have limited access to hospital-based tests. Analyzes home-based spirometry use of 20 rural patients and provides patient feedback on satisfaction of using telehealth to complete remote monitoring of lung disease.
Author(s): Ryan D. Boente, Sydney Schacht, Rebecca Borton, et al.
Citation: Respiratory Research, 25, 92
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Examines the acceptability and feasibility of utilizing telemonitoring for rural lung disease patients who have limited access to hospital-based tests. Analyzes home-based spirometry use of 20 rural patients and provides patient feedback on satisfaction of using telehealth to complete remote monitoring of lung disease.
Author(s): Ryan D. Boente, Sydney Schacht, Rebecca Borton, et al.
Citation: Respiratory Research, 25, 92
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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An 'Unseen' Struggle: Addressing Hoarding Disorder in Rural Communities
Discusses the challenges of identifying and addressing hoarding disorder in rural areas, as well as the impact it can have on the ability to age in place. Highlights resources and strategies that can be effective in rural areas to help address this issue.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the challenges of identifying and addressing hoarding disorder in rural areas, as well as the impact it can have on the ability to age in place. Highlights resources and strategies that can be effective in rural areas to help address this issue.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Bridging The Home-Based Primary Care Gap In Rural Areas
Discusses challenges with offering home-based primary care (HBPC) in rural communities for older adults and people with disabilities, notably workforce shortages, insufficient infrastructure, and funding. Offers HBPC redesign suggestions with these challenges in mind, discussing community health workers, technology and telehealth, leveraging community resources and partnerships, training, scope of practice laws, payment models, and infrastructure investments.
Author(s): Ginny Rogers, Montgomery Smith, Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Robert S. Saunders
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Discusses challenges with offering home-based primary care (HBPC) in rural communities for older adults and people with disabilities, notably workforce shortages, insufficient infrastructure, and funding. Offers HBPC redesign suggestions with these challenges in mind, discussing community health workers, technology and telehealth, leveraging community resources and partnerships, training, scope of practice laws, payment models, and infrastructure investments.
Author(s): Ginny Rogers, Montgomery Smith, Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Robert S. Saunders
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Availability of Mental Telehealth Services in the US
Examines availability, wait times, and service features of mental telehealth services across demographic and geographical characteristics. Analyzes mental health treatment facilities (MHTFs) across the U.S. and provides data on mental health conditions treated, types of services used, and facility and county characteristics of MHTFs, including metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Jonathan Cantor, Megan S. Schuler, Samantha Matthews, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(2)
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Examines availability, wait times, and service features of mental telehealth services across demographic and geographical characteristics. Analyzes mental health treatment facilities (MHTFs) across the U.S. and provides data on mental health conditions treated, types of services used, and facility and county characteristics of MHTFs, including metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Jonathan Cantor, Megan S. Schuler, Samantha Matthews, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(2)
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Critical Access Hospital Telehealth Guide
Provides practical guidance on implementing and sustaining telehealth in Critical Access Hospitals, to optimize healthcare delivery, expand access, enhance care coordination, and address health inequity. Focuses on Medicare outpatient telehealth services, but also includes information on Medicaid coverage and remote services that may not strictly be considered telehealth.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
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Provides practical guidance on implementing and sustaining telehealth in Critical Access Hospitals, to optimize healthcare delivery, expand access, enhance care coordination, and address health inequity. Focuses on Medicare outpatient telehealth services, but also includes information on Medicaid coverage and remote services that may not strictly be considered telehealth.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
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Medicaid Coverage of Medications to Reverse Opioid Overdose and Treat Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders
Report discusses access to medications for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) via Medicaid. Highlights policies and regulations that effect access and details Medicaid coverage in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Features a discussion about rural access.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Report discusses access to medications for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) via Medicaid. Highlights policies and regulations that effect access and details Medicaid coverage in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Features a discussion about rural access.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Implementation Costs of Technology-Enhanced Transitional Palliative Care for Rural Caregivers
Examines the feasibility and sustainability of a family caregiver-focused transitional palliative care intervention that uses telehealth technologies. Presents results of a budget impact analysis of a randomized control trial, community-dwelling rural caregivers of hospitalized patients with a serious, life-limiting illness and receiving palliative care during hospitalization. Describes potential reimbursement mechanisms available to offset health system costs to providing transitional palliative care to support caregivers, including transitional care management and chronic care management service reimbursement.
Author(s): Brystana G. Kaufman, Diane E. Holland, Catherine E. Vanderboom, Cory Ingram, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, 41(1), 38-44
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Examines the feasibility and sustainability of a family caregiver-focused transitional palliative care intervention that uses telehealth technologies. Presents results of a budget impact analysis of a randomized control trial, community-dwelling rural caregivers of hospitalized patients with a serious, life-limiting illness and receiving palliative care during hospitalization. Describes potential reimbursement mechanisms available to offset health system costs to providing transitional palliative care to support caregivers, including transitional care management and chronic care management service reimbursement.
Author(s): Brystana G. Kaufman, Diane E. Holland, Catherine E. Vanderboom, Cory Ingram, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, 41(1), 38-44
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Exploring Telemental Health Practice Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presents a study on the use of telemedicine by mental health providers since the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights the expansion of telemental health during the pandemic and how that expansion has continued in the aftermath. Breaks down data by patient and provider characteristics, as well as the rurality of providers and of the area served.
Author(s): Demi Zhu, Samantha R Paige, Henry Slone, et al.
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 30(1), 72-78
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Presents a study on the use of telemedicine by mental health providers since the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights the expansion of telemental health during the pandemic and how that expansion has continued in the aftermath. Breaks down data by patient and provider characteristics, as well as the rurality of providers and of the area served.
Author(s): Demi Zhu, Samantha R Paige, Henry Slone, et al.
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 30(1), 72-78
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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